A specially designed equine art piece honoring the 150th year of the Saratoga Meeting July 18, 2013, was unveiled by the artist, Robert Clark, left, John Hendrickson, center, and Rodnell Workman, right, at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. (Skip Dickstein/Times Union)

A specially designed equine art piece honoring the 150th year of...

Tori Rodriguez of Ballston Spa creates a chalk art rendering of the Saratoga 150 logo in front of the grandstands Friday, July 19, 2013, on opening day at Saratoga Race Course Saratoga Springs, N.Y. (John Carl D'Annibale / Times Union)

• This is the third article in a series counting down the Top 10 local stories of 2013.

Saratoga Springs

What happened: This was the 150th year of thoroughbred racing in Saratoga Springs, but the summer of 2013 may be remembered for what happened off-track.

To commemorate Saratoga Race Course's sesquicentennial, community leaders created a "Saratoga 150" theme that adorned flags and T-shirts and filled storefronts. They sold $15 medallions that granted access to events throughout the year.

Saratoga 150 celebrated horse racing, but also its historic ties to the city. Blessed with tremendous weather, the celebration was a successful mix of savvy marketing and civic involvement. It generated national press and attracted record crowds downtown. Even though turnout fell 4 percent from last year and the amount of money bet at the track slipped a bit, hotel taxes set a record — $32.7 million for Saratoga County, $23 million in the city. Hotel operators boosted August rates to $252 a night, up 7.3 percent from last year.

Why it mattered: At a time of diminishing returns for the sport of horse racing, Saratoga 150 showed the city's ability to attract tourists. Thousands lined Broadway on Aug. 2 for Marylou Whitney's Floral Fete. What's next: Two months after the meet, the biggest change to hit gambling in New York occurred when voters approved a constitutional amendment legalizing Las Vegas-style casinos. State leaders must now decide where the casinos will go. Saratoga Casino and Raceway — already home to some 1,700 video lottery terminals and live harness racing — is a possible front-runner for a full-fledged casino. As local opposition mounted to expanding gambling in Saratoga Springs, some supporters voiced concern that sites for casinos in the Capital Region — Albany and Rensselaer were touted — would draw visitors from the Spa City.

What they said: "Saratogians once again showed the world what a great destination it is," said John Hendrickson, a Saratoga 150 honorary chairman. "We can only hope the track will continue to improve its performance to attract more fans in an ever-increasing competitive gambling environment."